Description option missing on Save as dialog box. How to fix it?

Recently, a few customers have contacted me to report that their SOLIDWORKS Save as dialog box is missing the description field? When saving a part, assembly, or drawing document, you can add a description for the file via the Save As dialog box as shown below:

Description Filed on save as dialog box

Normally, when you install SOLIDWORKS this description field should be shown by default but if it missing you can enable it by following these steps:

Step 1: Toggle on Details Pane

Sometimes this problem can be easily fixed by toggling on the details pane through the File > Open dialog box.

To do so go to File > Open > Organize > Layout > Toggle ON the details pane. Now, try saving the file again using File > save as and see if the description option appears.

If the problem still exists then follow step 2.

Toggle ON Details Pane

Step 2: Register a Dynamic Link Library (.dll) file that couldn’t register properly during the installation process

As mentioned earlier, the description field is missing as sldpropertyhandler.dll couldn’t register properly due to lack of admin privileges. We will have to manually register this file using command prompt.

• Run command prompt, through Start > Type Cmd > Right-click > Run as an administrator from the shortcut menu.

Run Command prompt as an Administrator

• Now locate the path of sldpropertyhandler.dll within windows file explorer in the SOLIDWORKS Installation directory. By default this path is C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS. Copy this path from the file explorer.
• Type regsvr32, then space and within quotation marks paste the path of dll file and add the dll file-name followed by backward slash  and then hit Enter.

The command should look like this regsvr32 “C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SolidWorks\sldpropertyhandler.dll”

Command to register sldpropertyhandler.dll

• Pop-up message showing the dll registration succeeded confirms that the dll file is successfully registered.

Now the description filed should appear within File > Save as dialog box.

If you would like to learn how to link the SOLIDWORKS Save As dialog description field to a Custom Property please refer to this blog article.